The Smiley Smile Message Board

All class. ::)

http://www.adn.com/anchorage/story/919310.html

(In part)

The Beach Boys put on a free outdoor concert in a Mountain View parking lot Monday night, drawing at least 700 people to an event that most attendees heard about only by word of mouth.

 Surf rock began pumping out onto Mountain View Drive about 8 p.m., drawing in passers-by who crowded along a perimeter fence at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge for a view of the famed band. Impromptu gatherings behind rundown buildings gave way to dancing as the band played its 1960s hits like "I Get Around," "California Girls" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."....

The article says 700 attended. One of the guys there, commented below the article, that the crowd was more like 250.
I didn't think that the Mike and Bruce show could sink lower than county fairs. Guess I was wrong.

The way I read it, the Beach Boys didn't put on a free concert. I'm sure they were paid. The concert goers didn't have to pay to get in. However if you read in the comments below the article, even that's in dispute.

Beatles on the rooftop it ain't!

Doesn't "free concert" always imply that audience members don't pay (as opposed to band doesn't get paid)? It would never occur to me that the band wasn't compensated for performing a free show, unless there was also some mention of a charity or something. And what's the difference whether they were compensated?

Seems to me they did something cool for people. (The negative comments are typical fare for that kind of thing: frankly, I think journalism has sunk to a new low by allowing it.) Whether 700, 200 or 10 people saw, it's still nice to perform for an hour and a half to an audience that didn't have to pay.

Luther- I guess you are correct about the meaning of a "free concert." I stand corrected. Still.... a bowling alley? I wonder how much they were paid to do that gig!!

I'm very sorry to hear this..

But hey, if it's free, guess it's nice.

I feel more inclined to praise the band than criticize them. Shows real dedication and love of their work, or art. And, I guess it smacks in the face of those who are always criticizing Mike for doing things strictly for the money.

That sounds so cool. And Mike was wearing a Pendleton!

I would have liked to have seen it. Nice of them to do the gig to support the bowling alley even if some money will obviously have changed hands. Certainly nothing to criticize them for though.

I love bowling! Strike for the BB!

That's exactly where they should be playing- not all the time, but now and then.  It's their roots- it's who they are. Glad they haven't forgotten.  If the Wich Stand was around, that would be the coolest place on earth to see the Beach Boys. Or the Santa Monica Pier (or just the boardwalk).  I'd love to see them play Bob's Big Boy in Toluca on a Friday night.  I don't make it to the shows here in Atlanta anymore, but if they played at the Starlight Six drive-in- which Blue Oyster Cult did recently- with a double feature of "Them" and "The Tingler" I'd be there with a cold twelve-pack and a bunch of friends and have the time of my life.

I would sooooo much rather hear about them toting the Beach Boys trademark and song catalogue to something cool and laid back and unpretentious like this than playing at corporate events and having the CEO's daughter onstage for "Barbara Ann".

For some reason I thought of Spinal Tap when the girl friend became the heavy metal band's manager. They then played at a conservative military base. Having said that, I wish I was there. The chanced of meeting Mike would be pretty good. You could also meet Bruce, but who would want to do that? :)

I have to laugh as when Bruce used to post on 'Ego' he was very put out when someone was critical of some of the venues the Mike and Bruce played. The poster mentioned various corporate, casino, county fairs etc but playing the like of a 'Piggly Wiggly' upset him.

At the time that is!

I keep on telling you people.  Bruce reads these boards.  He will track you down and knock your d___ in the dirt.  He's a bad mother and he doesn't mess around.  He'll go public on your ass, and then you will learn to respect the shorts.

One of my favorite BB concerts was one that only about 800-1000 people went to.  It wasn't publicized well, and it was in the middle of a dirt lot at Fiesta Island here in San Diego.  Security was very lax and we all got to lean up on the stage and high-five Mike & Bruce the whole show!  It's these little hidden concerts at unknown venues that are the secret gems for the BB fan.

I also went to an Al Jardine show in Gilroy, CA which took place after a fundraiser for a local high school.  About 600 people were at the fundraiser, but less than 100 bothered to show up to the concert.  But that was one of the funnest shows I've ever been to, possibly in my top 5 of all time.  He only played about a dozen songs, but there was absolutely NO security, and the band was playing at a ground level stage that was 2 feet off the ground or less!  Cameras...absolutely!  Video cameras...why not!  There seemed to be about a half dozen hard-core fans, and the rest were mostly parents of the kids that went to the school who wanted to hang out and see a show!  That made it even more fun.

Once someone in Ego was berating Mike'n'Bruce for playing those kind of gigs... I think the poster asked "what's next, a walmart opening?"

Bruce's answer: "No, we'll be playing at your funeral"  :lol

And guess what?  The FBI is still looking for that guy. No Happy Endings for him. They should just stamp "Messed with Bruce" on his file and close the case.

Er... you missed out this part:

" Their set lasted more than an hour and a half.

The unadvertised performance was sponsored by the bowling alley, which is under new ownership and booked the band for its customers and others, said manager Kelly Anderson. Matt Bobich recently bought the business, formerly Park Lanes, and is renovating it, trying to revamp its image, he said.

"It's about people seeing what we're doing to the place, because it's been so run down for so long," Anderson said. "It's been 40 years that this place has belonged to somebody and now somebody else has taken over, and we're going to clean it up."

The show came on the heels of the Sunday gigs at the State Fair that brought the band to town this summer. General admission there was $35. Because the free Monday performance would conflict with the fair, organizers couldn't advertise it, Anderson said.

Two of the Beach Boys are original members: singer Mike Love and keyboardist/vocalist Bruce Johnston, who joined the band after it formed but was included when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

I'm thinking, if Brian's band did the same, a lot of folk - not just the die-hard Blooies - would be falling over themselves saying what a wonderful thing it was for BW to do.

BTW, the 'county fair' label is hugely unfair - the band were playing those venues back in the sixties. Check the gig listing on 10452 - county/state fairs are nothing new. Iffn you're going to bash Mike for it, diss Carl & Dennis too - they played their fair share.

Maybe you can help me with this, Andrew, or maybe someone can. In 2002 I was at the Georgia-Florida (college football) game in Jacksonville, Florida and the Beach Boys were very definitely at announced at the site several times, and listed on flyers as performing at the adjacent fair that goes on every year on game day.  I'm pretty certain it was 2002- call it better than 90%, though it could just possibly have been 2001 or 2003 (I go every year).  Naturally, I walked all over the place from noon until the kickoff early in the evening looking and asking, but no band.  They could have played during the game, I guess, but that would have made little sense, losing a potential 80,000 more people.

This game is always played on Halloween weekend in Jacksonville, Florida.  In 2002 it was on November 2.  Is there any record of where they were that day, or of any shows in Jacksonville early in this decade between October 27 and November 2?  It's been a real mystery for me.

I know a man who can help... :-)

No bashing intended AGD. From memory the poster was mainly critical of the quality of venue Mike and Bruce were playing then (3-5 years ago).

FYI I gave dates and venue from my old BBFUN news letters of casino appearances dating around 1981.

For what its worth, for a band that once sang at a presidential inauguration to now accept bookings for private gigs in run down neighbourhood parking lots at the same time as the lead singer is talking of playing the Hollywood Bowl and Wembley in the future...I'm astounded!

Why? Have you not followed the history of the band? :o

It's interesting though how Brian is playing the flashy, historic venues and headling festivals in front of thousands, and The BB are playing the county fairs  ;D

They all attract big numbers so that's all that matters

I hope they played 'In the Parkin' lot' :-D

Brian has played his fair share of shows for the money over the past few years. Some of which he has made no secret of the fact that he doesn`t want to be there.

Festivals and the likes of the Hollywood Bowl aside, I would estimate that the average attendance for a BW show would be in the 1500-2000 range. The RFH in London is one of the larger venues he's played, and that seats about 2750. And don't forget that the first US TLOS show drew 600 in a 3000 seater venue (non-existent promotion).

As for 'flashy, historic venues'... Primm, Nevada ?

Well Brian has played the best, Royal Albert Hall etc, even though I do admit not every gig is is in beautiful venues,  that's all I'm saying. And honestly with those TLOS shows, there really was close to no promotion so I won't put that down to lack of interest.

Well, I'll be seeing the Beach Boys tonight...at a Mexican restaurant in Austin, Texas.

I recall reading a quote of Dennis Wilson saying...its not the size of the concert. But sometimes the smaller free concerts are the most special....in so many words.

I think the current Mike and Bruce "Beach Boys" are pretty much just a glorified wedding band at this point.  One of those local/regional wedding bands who will play the county fair one night and play a company dinner cruise the next night, and then play a wedding reception the next week.  The Mike and Bruce "Beach Boys" have become a bad cover band/wedding band version of their '60s and '70s selves.  I guess the men have to make a living somehow, and Mike is one of those goes who will play for anyone anywhere.  No problem with that, but you don't see Paul McCartney playing bowling alley parking lots in Alaska.  I think Mike and Bruce tarnish the BBs legend every time they get on stage.  I mean, really (?), a band called the Beach Boys with out a single Wilson brother.  It's boarding on illegal mis-representation.

This is great news. The Dude would be proud. ;D

When was the last time you went to see them?

Their shows have improved a lot in the last couple of years...no, it's not the actual "Beach Boys"...and, yes, Mike can be a real furo de buro sometimes...but since Scott Totten has taken over as musical director and John Cowsill switched from keyboards to the drums they've been able to rival at least Al's band if not Brian's in quality.

Thanks!  It'll remain mysterious either way- if you tell me they were in Des Moines on 11-02-02 I'll grow up frustrated, but no more so  than if you can confirm that I was in a small area with them, a couple acres, for many hours and couldn't find them!  They were clearly announcing that "The Beach Boys" were there.  The game was moved to night by ESPN (sports channel) so they day's events were a bigger deal that year.

According to my notes, we performed in Jacksonville on Nov 1, 2002. 

Scott

Thanks a ton, Scott- that would mean that the show was on Friday, and I saw fliers still up on Saturday, which may just have been worded vaguely- and if I remember correctly that I heard the Beach Boys announced from the stage, then it was just a mistake by them or a mis-hear by me.  Mystery somewhat solved.

Any clue to the venue?   Could it have been the Jacksonville Landing?  That's where the pre-game stuff is on that Friday.  If not, I guess it would have been at the Fairgrounds adjacent to (then) Alltel Stadium.

Sorry for the sniping in this thread- as I stated earlier I think  the smaller shows are great.  I mentioned a list of cool places Id love to see the current band, but I'll throw this in- you all owe somebody a show at the monument in Hawthorne.  It'd be fun to try and do something there on an appropriate date (like Labor Day weekend) in 2011.  I know how unrealistic that is, though.